CGC3: Back Home
by FutureAuthoress
Summary: A third book in my Cool Guy Chronicles series! I know it's been long awaited. I'm not bragging or anything...okay, yes, I am bragging. But THIS time, Spongebob's gonna go on a road trip! A BIG road trip...that could perhaps, change his life! Enjoy!
1. Striking News

**Well y'all, I'm BACK! And this time, I have CGC3. A few people already know the plot (pokes Muffin) but for those of you who don't...well...here's a little surprise. Heehee...enjoy!!**

**Cool Guy Chronicles, Book 3 - "Back Home"**

**Chapter 1: "Striking News"**

It was Monday, and a very quiet day in Bikini Bottom.

Spongebob Squarepants stared mindlessly at his television set, stroking the shell of his sleeping pet snail, Gary.

The TV droned on, when Spongebob was startled out of his trance by the ringing of his telephone. He jumped off of the couch, and raced to answer.

"Hello?"

--

Meg was busy in her kitchen, preparing her evening meal.

Meg Treez had moved in next door to Spongebob not two months ago...and had already attended one social event. But...truth be told, things were a bit too peaceful around here. Sure, Meg enjoyed the quiet from time-to-time, but, to be quite honest...she was bored out of her mind. She craved adventure, experience!

Her next question would be, did Bikini Bottom hold that for her?

--

Another day droned on for the quiet likes of Squidward Tentacles, who, like most of Bikini Bottom's citizens (around this hour) was contemplating what to do about supper.

Pizza would be nice, but...he didn't know who delivered. Spaghetti sounded easy—but he had that last night.

"I'll make a sandwich." he mumbled. There, and easy solution.

He walked into his tiny kitchen, and switched on his CD player. Soothing Celtic melodies drifted from it's speakers, and in just moments, Squidward found himself dancing on the linoleum with an invisible partner.

As the song ended, Squidward sighed and let his shoulders droop He knew he was getting lonesome, and yet--wasn't quite sure what to do about it. No _decent_ girl would have him, _that_ was for certain.

He finished making his sandwich, and walked back into his living room. This could be a long, lonely spring.

--

Spongebob walked swiftly down the road toward Sandy's house. She'd phoned him a few minutes ago, telling him that she'd rather explain her situation in person.

So, Spongebob had grabbed his coat and headed out the door.

Sandra Cheeks (Sandy, as she preferred to be called) was a land squirrel who had moved to Bikini Bottom almost nine years ago. Her and Spongebob had been best friends for nearly that amount of time, but now Spongebob was beginning to think that maybe he had other feelings for her. Other feelings than just _friendship._

--

Sandy heard a knock on her door, and immediately knew who it was.

She rushed to let Spongebob in, and invited him to some hot tea and cookies.

"What's up, Sandy?" Spongebob asked, after they had settled in.

Sandy sighed, unwilling to share the news...and yet _desperate_ for someone to help her bear her fear.

"Sandy?"

Sandy realized she'd been staring silently at the ground.

"Spongebob..." she whispered. "Spongebob, it's...it's my Ma. She's in the hospital. They say it's cancer."


	2. To Do

**I know, I'm a cruel...cruel person. But hey, sometimes stories have to be cruel. You learn to live with it! Anyway, here's chapter two. I know the story is slow to get going, but BELIEVE ME, it'll be worth it!!**

**Chapter 2: "To Do"**

Spongebob sat, quietly, for a long moment. He opened his mouth, and then closed it again.

"Is she okay?" He finally managed. Sandy was tough, but she loved her family something fierce. Quite often, she would talk about her Ma and Pa...her cousin, Seth, her Aunty Sue...this was the first time he'd heard her regard any of them with fear clutching at her voice.

Sandy stared at the table, tracing the lines in the wood with her finger. "I don't know." she whispered.

Spongebob wracked his mind hard, searching for an answer—some comfort for his friend. "Shouldn't you go visit her?" he asked.

Sandy let out a great sigh. "I should!" she lamented. "But...to be to be quite honest, I'm afraid to travel on my own. I don't _dare_ call Pa away, and I couldn't ask no one else, I just couldn't."

Seeing Sandy so shook up really worried and hurt Spongebob.

"Oh, Spongebob!" She was close to tears. "What should I do!?"

--

Meg stared out of her dining room window at the setting sun. The heater hummed softly, as quiet piano music droned from an old CD player.

A half-finished drawing lay on the table, and Meg thumbed the corners of the paper, thoughtfully. Completely lost in her own little world, Meg jumped when the phone rang.

She blinked twice, and then hurried to her feet to answer, brushing a thick lock of dark brown hair behind her ear. "Hello?"

"Hello Meg, it's me."

The voice belonged to the octopus that lived next door.

"Hey, Squidward!" she greeted. "How are you?"

"Doing just fine, you?"

"I'm wonderful!" She reached over and switched off her distracting CD player. "What's up?"

Uneasiness could be detected in Squidward's voice as he spoke. "Well, Jack Melody is in town Friday night, and I was wondering whether I should buy two tickets or one."

Meg's jaw dropped. "Are you inviting me?" she asked. She'd been an admirer of Jack Melody's for almost 5 years...he was a famous undersea pianist an composer...and you could never predict where his concerts would be.

"Are you accepting my invitation?" Squidward teased.

Meg smiled to herself. "Yeah." She replied.

"Okay, the concert's at 8:30, Friday evening. Want to meet at my house, 8:00?"

"That works fine. Thank you!"

"No problem. See you then."

"Bye, Squidward!"

"Goodbye."

--

Squidward set hi phone on the cradle, and threw a glance up at the clock. 6:37.

He looked at his TV set, an old western playing soundlessly. He flipped through the channels absentmindedly, wondering what Friday would be like. Squidward had bought two tickets for the Jack Melody Piano Concert, before he ever place the phone call to Meg.

Now, a '90's Sci-Fi show clicked on. Squidward sighed, turning the volume back on and relaxing in his easy chair.

"The water..." The TV said.

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's going down the drain counter-clockwise! Coriolis force in the Northern Hemisphere dictates that it should go down clockwise."

Squidward took a sip of soda, and let himself become absorbed in the show.

**--**

**That was a reference...those of you very edumacated and smarticle can maybe perhaps guess what it is. Most who can guess that part, probably don't watch Spongebob. Haha! At least not obsessively enough to read fanfics. Well, I hope you liked chapter 2! Again, I know, it's slow coming. I feel that I MUST encourage you to read on, though! **


	3. Insert Title Here

**Chapter 3: "..."**

"Really? You would do that...for me?"

"Of course I would!" Spongebob sat across the table from Sandy.

She brushed a tear from her face. "Oh, Spongebob, you're so wonderful!" she exclaimed.

Spongebob had just offered to be Sandy's traveling partner for a visit to Texas, Sandy's place of birth, and where her sick mother now lay in a hospital bed.

"When do we leave?" Spongebob asked.

"Can we go Monday?" Sandy asked. It was Wednesday, so that wouldn't leave much time for preparation, but...it would work.

"Sure!" he replied. "I'll talk to Mr. Krabs at work tomorrow, and Mrs. Puff when I see her Friday!"

Sandy smiled. "Great! Come stay over Sunday night, so that we can get an early start!"

Spongebob smiled as well. "Okay! I'll see you there!" he stood up and made his way toward the door. Sandy followed.

"Oh, and Spongebob?"

Spongebob paused, and faced his friend.

"Thank you." She said, hugging him tightly.

Spongebob's smile grew, and he gave her a gentle pat on the back. "It's nothing." he replied. In his mind, Spongebob knew that he would travel to the ends of the Earth to make Sandy happy.

--

_The following morning..._

Meg glared in bitter hatred at her alarm clock, dinging in it's own little irritating way. She slapped the snooze button, and rolled over, covering her head with her sheets. Six minutes later, the high-pitched buzzing came back. Meg groaned, but sat up, and hit the off switch.

"Infernal contraption." She mumbled.

Somehow, she managed to pull herself to her feet, yank on a bathrobe, and stumble downstairs to a fresh pot of coffee. The automatic pot had just finished it's first batch, whne a familiar sound rang across the neighborhood.

"_Hoooooooooooooooonk!_"

Meg smiled. At least she knew _someone_ would be enjoying the morning. She dashed back upstairs and rummaged through the medicine cabinet for her glasses, just as she grabbed them and threw them on, as she heard a joyous

"I'M READY!"

She opened her bedroom window and leaned out.

"Mornin', Spongebob!" she called, cheerfully.

"Good morning, Meg!" he called back, smiling in his usual buck-toothed grin sort of way.

"How ya doin' today?" she asked, before taking a sip of coffee.

"Great! I'm going to Texas next week!"

Meg raised her eyebrows, intrigued. "Oh? What for?"

"Sandy's gonna go visit her family. I'm gonna come with her and meet them!"

A grin played the corner of Meg's mouth. "Sounds like fun! You'd better get, or you'll be late for work."

Spongebob waved. "Okay, bye Meg, see you later!"

Meg waved back. "Bye, Spongebob! Have fun!" She leaned back into her house and shut the window, before letting down her messy braids.

"Alright," she mumbled. "Let's get this day going."

--

"Squidward, have you ever been on land?" Spongebob's fifteenth question rang through the Krusty Krab ordering window. Squidward tried his hardest to ignore the questions, burying his nose deeper into a magazine, but the insistent little fry cook was growing more and more obnoxious.

"I mean, of course you have...because there was that one time that we went up on a bet, but I mean like after that. Because that was the last time I ever did. But now, it looks like..."

Squidward tried to mentally block the chatter, growling as he did so. To answer was So tempting, but it would only encourage him.

"Squidward?"

Squidward felt something touch his shoulder.

"Uh, Squidward,"

_Pause._

"Squidward!"

Squidward threw his magazine down. "What!? What is it you want?"

Spongebob leaned backward, and pointed timidly at the cash register.

Squidward spun around, to see a confused-looking lady customer.

He cleared his throat, clearly enough embarrassed. "Welcome to the Krusty Krab, home of the Krabby Patty. Can I take your order?"


	4. Friday

**I was asked today if Squidward was my favorite character...(I'd just posted chapter 2)...I was torn at the answer. So for anyone else who wants to know...**

**Squidward is ONE of my favorite characters. I think that he's grossly misunderstood and unappreciated. Can I get a "me too"? Anyone? No? Okay, fine. Hmmph! Here's your stupid chapter 4.**

**Chapter 4: "Friday"**

The weekend was _so close_. Meg tossed a wadded up piece of paper at her trashcan. It hit the side and bounced out, landing on the floor.

She stared impatiently at the clock. 6:42. Boredom ate at her mind like a bad virus. She needed _something_ to do! The CD player droned on repetitively. Meg twiddled her thumbs and looked at the clock again: 6:43.

"Come _on_!" she growled. Her pet snail, Carly, came into the room and sat by her owner's feet. She was bored, too.

"Hey Good Carly., wanna go for a walk?"

Carly perked up, and meowed.

--

Spongebob strolled down the road, Gary on a leash, humming to himself. Work today had been quiet, and strangely enough, had left Spongebob in a rather quiet mood. The sun was quietly setting over the west horizon, casting a brilliant glow over Bikini Bottom.

The thought occurred to Spongebob that he hadn't yet found a snail-sitter for Gary. Who would take care of him while Spongebob was in Texas? Not Squidward, Gary had made a point about Squidward's _last_ snail-sitting fiasco, and made sure Spongebob knew not to let it happen again.

His next thought was Patrick. Then again...maybe not Patrick. Spongebob hadn't seen much of his pink friend in the past few days, and wondered if he might be sick. Well if he was, there was no sense in burdening his friend, _or_ endangering Gary's health.

Sandy was clearly out of the question, she would be gone, and Mr. Krabs had a pet worm. Spongebob trusted Mr. Krabs, but Cash...not so much.

That left one more option. Dare he ask of her?

--

Squidward opened his window, and took a deep breath of fresh Bikini Bottom air. Rain clouds hovered, ominously, over the city, leaving the atmosphere damp, but fresh.

He set his music stand up by the open window. Clarinet in hand, he flipped through pages of music, until he found a song that sounded nice. The clock read 7:30.

_Thirty minutes,_ his mind told him. He couldn't help but be slightly nervous. He didn't understand why, though. It was like it was a date, just a social event.

Granted, he didn't dislike Meg in that fashion. In fact, he almost liked her. _Almost._ But years of experience told Squidward that Meg's future held something much bigger and brither than _him_.

As Squidward was about to play, a familiar high-pitched voice came through the window.

"Hey, Squidward!"

Squidward leaned outside, and looked down into the smiling face of Spongebob. Feeling too peaceful to be rude, Squidward lent a friendly wave, before beginning practice on his clarinet, which he was, surprisingly enough, improving on. He couldn't help but feel like his difficulty in learning led back to a family curse. But of course, _that _ was ridiculous.

--

Silence. Peaceful silence.

Sandy sat quietly in her bedroom, alone with her thoughts, a lit candle being the only source of light, and filling the air with a soft cinnamon fragrance. Even time seemed to stand still, as Sandy worried to herself.

Her ma had never been sick before, not like this, and Sandy had never felt so scared. What would happen? She took a deep breath, wrestling the tears that had been threatening to overtake her for days. She couldn't _wait_ for Monday. It seemed so distant...too far.

Even Spongebob understood the seriousness of this matter. That scared Sandy more than the situation itself. He was a merry little fellow, not one to fail finding an upside to things. And yet, he hadn't said anything positive to her Wednesday. What could that mean?

--

**I thought you might be interested to know the story behind where I got the name for Mr. Krab's worm, Cash. **

**I thought about naming him "Kash" (You know, Krusty Krab, Krusty Krew, Eugene Krabs...that stuff) but I didn't actually take the name "Cash" from Mr. K's obsession with money. My mom always tells me a story about high school...her and her friends has a rabbit that they passed around...a little pygmy rabbit, didn't get very big. He practically lived in everyone's jackets (she says) and this rabbit's name? Cash. So...there's my little story for you. Haha! Hope you're enjoying the story so far!**


	5. Events

**Chapter 5: "Events"**

"These are wonderful seats!" Meg beamed, as her and Squidward settled in to the fourth row of the Jack Melody concert.

"I pulled some strings." Squidward stated, brushing at his casual attire.

"This _really_ is wonderful, thank you _so_ much!"

The octopus responded with a simple smile, before the evening's events _really_ began to take place.

First, Jack himself thanked the audience for being there, and assured them that tonight would be a special treat.

Throughout the concert, Meg was ever-aware of her contented companion—just as he was, of her.

The simple joy of the evening broke down what few barriers were left between them...and when they drove home at 11:00 that night, conversation was easy and pleasant, and smiles abundant.

"That was the best performance I've ever _seen_!" Squidward commented, weaving his boat through parking-lot traffic.

"Spectacular!" The blue-skinned sea nymph replied. "I can't remember the last time I had this much fun!"

"Me neither." Squidward replied, quietly.

In unison, the both sighed happily, and the rest of the ride was spent in a comfortable silence.

The boat finally pulled on to Conch Street. Squidward parked in front of Meg's house, and walked her to the door like a gentleman.

Her bouncy nature never subsided, as she said "Thank you SO MUCH for this, Squidward. I guess I needed a night out more than I thought."

"Yeah, me too." he replied, smiling.

Meg wanted to freeze time and see this picture from every angle possible. A good feeling bubbled up inside of her, and she wished she could bottle and keep it. "Well, goodnight." She gave him a quick hug.

"Goodnight." He returned, quietly.

Meg closed her door, and heard Carly mew. A grin crossed her lips.

"Yes, Good Carly, my evening was wonderful."

--

**As is usual, I'm not quite sure that there was a point to this chapter. But I honestly miss the season 1, 2, and 3 Squidward. He got pretty mean in season 4, and in seasons 5 and 6 he's a total jerk. I mean...the whole cast has gone screwy. I'm not even going into this conversation! I just...hope you like the story so far. I want to make it mushy and fluffy and stuff...but I don't want to bore you. Haha!**


	6. Deep Thoughts

**Chapter 6: "Deep Thoughts"**

The clock ticked just pas it's 12:00 mark.

Spongebob lay in bed, wide awake, with his eyes locked on the ceiling. Sleep wouldn't come, no matter how desperately he beckoned it. Gary snored, peacefully.

For some reason, Sandy kept crossing Spongebob's mind. And it was a strange picture...derived from a dream he'd encountered a few nights back:

She sat alone, at her picnic table, clad in her usual purple-and-green outfit. Tense and frightening silence gripped at the air, and Spongebob sensed his own presence, sneaking in through the front door. Sandy would then turn around, anger flaring her countenance. He'd consider turning back, but push himself onward. She'd charge at him, with the obvious intention of either murdering or hospitalizing him. Before she could reach him, though, he'd seize her by the shoulders, scream "Please forgive me!" and... that's where the vision dissipated.

That night, he'd woken up trembling and afraid.

Now, a few nights later, it was more intriguing than frightening, and his mind kept filling in the blank part. Did she get him...and tear him limb from limb? Or did _he_ get _her_? Did someone interfere? Or what!?

As questions probed his mind, and midnight turned to morning, Spongebob was finally able to slip into the relieving stillness of repose.

--

**So...yes, it's a dream sequence...kinda. I actually suggested a friend do this, and she did and it turned out rather beautifully! Well, she did something totally different, and from Sandy's POV instead of Spongebob's. So...feedback! REVIEW! I wanna know what you think! Love ya all ;-)**

**--**

**UPDATE**

**Alright, I said I wasn't going to update until after I'd moved, but...Well, after about six months and we haven't sold this house or bought a new one, I'm kinda wanting to move the story on. So, I'll type it in the computer! It'll be a bit different than the way I had it going in the notebook, but hey, enjoy anyway!! :D Don't forget to review!**


	7. Patience, Dear

**Chapter 7: "Patience, Dear"**

"What about now? Do you have everything yet?"

_I swear, if he asks me that one more time..._

"Sandy, you forgot your guitar! You're not going to go to Texas without your guitar, are you?"

It was Sunday night. SpongeBob and Sandy were loading up Sandy's boatmobile in an attempt to be somewhat ready for the following day. SpongeBob had evidently worked everything out with his boss and his boating teacher, and now, the incessant questions were driving Sandy to madness.

"No, I won't forget it, SpongeBob." She said, softly. _Manage your temper, Sandy. Manage it._ Deep breath. She reached for her guitar case and gently set it in the back seat. "Well, that should about cover it!"

"Great!" SpongeBob was giddy as a hamster, and doing a terrible job of hiding it—if he was trying to hide it at all. "So, tell me what the plan is again? I forgot."

"Alright, tomorrow mornin' we get up bright and early, and we drive up to San Diego, where my old friend Sharon lives. We'll stay the night at her house, and the rest of the drive will be straight-on to Missouri City."

"But I thought we were going to Texas!"

Another deep breath. "Missouri City is IN Texas, SpongeBob."

"Oohhh. Is that by the Alamo?"

Sandy wanted to knock herself unconscious. "You know what, SpongeBob, why don't we talk about this in the mornin', kay? We'll have plenty of free time then!"

"Okay!" SpongeBob seemed to be magically in his pajamas and in a sleeping bag on the floor.

Sandy climbed up into bed and flicked off the lights. "Good night, SpongeBob."

"Good night, Sandy! Sweet dreams!"

"Sweet dreams." She smiled to herself. His voice could work two ways; five minutes ago, it had been annoying. Just now, it sounded like a heavenly melody...

--

"Mr. Krabs, if you don't hire her, who WILL you hire?"

"Mr. Squidward, this conversation is over!"

"You didn't even interview her! She's a good worker!"

Three hours. This discussion had been going on for three hours, and Squidward wasn't gaining any leeway with his cheap boss. 'I can do it meself!' He'd insisted. 'We don't need a replacement, the boy will only be gone a couple of weeks!' Squidward had suggested that Meg take his place—temporarily, but Mr. Krabs would have nothing to do with it.

"Having a woman aboard is bad luck!" He'd said. It was times like this that Mr. Krabs' strange superstitions tested Squidward's patience to the max.

"I don't need to interview her! Me answer is NO!"

_Ding!_

The Krusty Krab door opened. Who would be here at this hour? Squidward turned around.

"Hey Squiddy! Hello sir!" It was Meg. Just in time to hear their argument; great.

"Look, there's a decent lass for the job, if ye were to have a woman on ship! Well-built, smartly-dressed, and pretty, too!" Mr. Krabs said, pointing.

"Sir?" Meg seemed confused.

Squidward's eyelids drooped. "Mr. Krabs, that's what I've been trying to say for the past THREE HOURS!"

"Eh?" Now it was Krabs who was confused.

"This is the girl who wanted the job."

"Oh, why didn't you just say that, then? What's yer name, lass?"

"Meg Treez!" She extended a hand.

"Mister Eugene Krabs, founder and owner of the Krusty Krab! Welcome aboard!" He shook her hand gently with a giant claw, and Squidward smiled with relief.

--

Meg didn't _need_ the job. She had money, and plenty of it. In fact, it was one of the few things she had. When her family passed away in the big storm that destroyed her house, her mother's, father's, and grandmother's insurance money had supported her. She'd invested it carefully in one of the best banks under the sea, and now, at age 23, she led a healthy, wealthy life.

But she wanted the job. She was bored, and constantly desperate for company. With SpongeBob out of town, now was the perfect opportunity to get to know and understand the citizens of Bikini Bottom, while helping out some friends.

There was still that craving, though...that craving for adventure...

--

**Whaddya think, hmm? Like it so far? I hope so! Chapter 8 will come...uh...whenever chapter 8 decides to come. Heehee! Don't forget to read and review! That's what I live for! Reviews, that is. LUVYAKTHXBAI!**


	8. Sharon the Chipmunk

**Wowwww...long time no post!! Sorry about that guys, I'm don't have 'flying Spandy sparks' at the moment, and...well, it's hard to stay warm with a dying fire, y'know? But I know that a lot of people are looking forward to the onset of this story, and to be quite honest, I was really rather proud of the story plot, so I boogied and started getting it written! I don't have much more, but keep reminding me, and I'll keep updating. Or at least...try XD Enjoy!!**

**Chapter 8: "Sharon the Chipmunk"**

"Sandy?!"

"Sharon!"

The girls both screamed in delight, and locked into a tight embrace. SpongeBob stood awkwardly to the side, smiling.

"Sandra Cheeks, I never thought the day would come when I'd see you on my doorstep once again!" Sharon, Sandy's friend in California, was a bubbly young chipmunk. "And I see you've brought a friend!"

Sandy's smile was broad. "Sharon, I want you to meet SpongeBob. He's a sea critter!"

Sharon smirked at Sandy. "I have a bit of ice cream in my freezer, if you two would come in and seat yourselves at the table, I shall have it served momentarily! Well don't just stand there, come in!" She ushered the squirrel and baffled sea sponge into her house and shut the door. "Dining room is this way!"

After spending the past four hours in Sandy's little car, listening to hours upon hours of Lonestar, Alabama, and Trace Adkins CDs on repeat, it was nice to step into Sharon's classy home. The walls were artistically adorned with pressed flowers, small figurines, and pictures of friends and family framed with oak and hung neatly along the hallways. A cream colored shaggy carpet bristled under their feet, cut off by bamboo flooring once the dining room was reached.

"Oh Sharon, what you've done to this place!" Sandy was saying. "I remember when you first moved in..." She laughed.

Once the three were seated together at the table, SpongeBob had a chance to take in the girl. She was short, much shorter than Sandy, and rounder, too, but wore the same loose smile and spoke with a slight drawl. It was much less recognizable than Sandy's, though. That could probably be contributed to her manner of speech; so formal, like she was narrating a novel.

_Ding Dong!_

"Oh, that'll be my boyfriend, Michael!" Sharon jumped up from the table at the sound of the doorbell.

"Ooh, what's this I hear?" Sandy teased, and put another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

The smirk that Sharon put on at the door returned, bigger than before. "Yeah, I've got a _boyfriend_ now, Sandy." She looked over at SpongeBob, then back at Sandy, and then walked off to answer the door.

Sandy raised her eyebrows and laughed, and SpongeBob felt he wasn't getting the joke.

Sharon re-entered the room with another young chipmunk. His fur was darker than hers, and he looked a couple years older, but not much.

"Sandy, SpongeBob, this is Michael! Michael, remember me talking about Sandy?"

"Yeah, I do!" Was his reply. "It's great to meet you guys!"

"Howdy!" Sandy stood up and offered a hand, which Michael briefly shook. "It's nice to meet y'all."

"Pleasure's mine, ma'am."

SpongeBob stood up as well. "I'm SpongeBob! It's nice to meet you!"

Michael shook his hand, too. "You sure are a strange little dude, where ya from?"

"He is from the ocean!" Sharon excitedly cut in. "The two of them will be accompanying us for dinner tonight."

"Ooh, like a double-date?"

"Heh, 'cept we ain't dating." Sandy commented, blushing.

"Riiight." Michael smiled at Sharon.

"Well, I suppose I'll warm the motor up on the car." Sharon said, and the four headed off to dinner.


	9. Getting things Done

**Chapter 9: "Getting Things Done"**

As the day passed, business in Bikini Bottom flowed on as usual. A cool breeze swept through the open window of the Krusty Krab, and reminded Meg that fall was on her way. She wrapped her hoodie closer to her body, and finished up the last of the dishes.

"It's awful quiet with the boy not around." Mr. Krabs was commenting to Squidward.

"It's kinda nice, though, admit it." Squidward said back. By the tone of his voice, he was relaxed and ready to go home and make himself some supper. Meg could do with a meal, herself.

She emerged from the kitchen. "All done with the dishes, Mr. K." She said.

"Three more minutes, and we can all go home." Squidward sighed, looking at the clock.

"It's been a busy day, actually." Meg said, sounding more surprised than she'd intended.

"You're telling me!" Squidward replied. "You were in the kitchen all day!"

"And I mopped floors and washed dishes and cleaned windows!" Meg retorted, playfully.

"Alright you two crazy kids, skedaddle on outta here and get yerselves some shut eye. I'll see ya in the mornin'!" Mr. Krabs was halfway to the door.

"'Night, Mr. Krabs!" Meg called as she left the restaurant.

----

"You really didn't have to find such a...a nice place, Sharon!" Sandy commented, as the group of four took seats in a pretty diner across town.

"Of course I did!" Sharon replied, smiling, and handing a menu to Michael. "A friend that you haven't seen in ten years shows up at your doorstep, and you're just supposed to order pizza?"

"Wow, really been that long?" Sandy asked, throwing a glance at SpongeBob.

"And she talks about you _all_ the time." Michael teased. He looked at Sharon's menu. "What you gonna have, babe? I can't decide."

"Mmm, this." Sharon pointed to an item on her menu, and SpongeBob started to look his own over.

----

Quiet. Peace and quiet.

It was the worst kind of quiet in the world. Meg watched Gary and Carly playing, and smiled. At least _they_ were enjoying themselves. But after dinner...Meg hadn't found anything to do to entertain herself. At least...she couldn't sit still long enough to make up her mind. She'd tried listening to music, drawing, reading, talking to her plants...she was going to have to admit it; she was bored. Even now, flipping through TV channels, she couldn't stay on any once channel for any amount of time. Normally she could flip the Sci-fi channel on, and just leave it playing all day. But nothing that she recognized was on, and that was quite unusual. She glanced at the clock, and finally decided on a hot bath. That couldn't hurt anything.


	10. Hit the Road

**Chapter 10: "Hit the Road"**

They'd been driving for three hours. Music and conversation had filled the car, but eventually waned. And the further onto the continent SpongeBob and Sandy got, the more SpongeBob complained about the heat. Fortunately, Sandy had planned for this, and had a big flat of water bottles ready in the backseat. They were almost to Glendale, where they planned on stopping for lunch.

SpongeBob turned the road map that he had in his hands sideways, upside-down, and then right-side-up again. "Why take this road?" He asked. "Isn't there a way to get there faster? You know what they say about straight lines!"

Sandy laughed. "I know, a straight line is the fastest way to get from one point to another."

"Well, I was gonna say if you get lost in the woods, just keep going straight..."

She made a face. "Anyway, I'm used to driving the 10. I won't get lost, and there's almost never highway construction." She smiled. "'Sides, we'll be passin' through all those places I'm always tellin' ya about!"

"You mean like Pho...Phe..." He squinted at the map.

"Phoenix." Sandy said, keeping her eyes on the road. "It's right past Glendale. And El Paso, and Austin, and San Antonio, and--"

"The towns up here have weird names!" SpongeBob exclaimed. He began reading off every name on the map, before Sandy silenced him and popped a Trace Adkins CD into the player.

-----

"Well, no, I guess if you--"

"Then my point is proven!" Squidward spun back around and glared at the doors of the Krusty Krab past the cash register.

Meg stared, baffled. Squidward had been acting grumpy today, even for Squidward. In fact, she didn't recall seeing a smiling face all day. Mr. Krabs had come in that morning grumbling about Cache and shut himself in his office, and all of the customers seemed particularly gloomy. _That saying about 'the unhappiest person in the room has the strongest effect on his peers' must really have some merit._ She thought, as she filled out another order and passed it through the window.

"Where is my order?!" Squidward demanded, moments later.

"I'm working as fast as I can!" Meg told him. She really was multitasking, watching the patties on the grill and trying to get the dishes that were taking over the counters clean and loaded into the dishwasher.

"Well work faster! It's getting crazy in here!" He turned around and resumed glaring.

She couldn't see what the big deal was, it got crazy at lunch time every day! Maybe he was just having a bad day. Or he was tired. Or perhaps being effected by all of the negativity.

-----

SpongeBob made a face. They'd resumed their drive from Glendale a good five hours ago, and he was feeling increasingly worse. "Something's wrong." He finally said.

Sandy glanced over at him. "You feeling carsick? I can pull over if you--"

He waved his hand at her. "No, no, I mean..." He shook his head. "I don't know what I mean. Never mind." The feeling didn't go away, though. Maybe it was just that he'd never been so far away from home. Yeah, that had to be it.

-----

After work, Meg walked home alone. After that day, the last thing she desired was Squidward's company. Maybe this was what Mr. Krabs had been talking about when he talked about Squidward being 'moody'. She unlocked her door and went inside, kicked off her shoes, and flopped down onto the couch. After work _today, _she could probably sit still and watch anything. She felt unusually tired. She'd had a long day at work, granted, but even that amount of physical stress never left her feeling this physically or mentally exhausted.

"Tea." She told herself, and walked into the kitchen. She froze when she heard a _Crunch!_ And lifted up her foot to find a half-eaten several-days old cookie. When she looked around the rest of the kitchen, she realized where it had come from; the trash can.

"CARLY!" She shouted, and stormed out of the kitchen and headed upstairs. She found both Carly and Gary hiding under her bed. She lay down on the floor and glared at them under the bed. "Why did you get into the trash can?"

"Meow!"

"I don't care who's idea it was! That was wrong. Come out and take a bath, you're both filthy."

Silence. And stillness.

"Five..."

More stillness.

"Four..."

They decided that Meg meant business, and crawled timidly out from underneath the bed, eyestalks lowered in shame.

"I'm going to go run a bath. When I come back in, I expect both of you to take yourselves in there and wait for me. Then, I'm going to go clean up the mess that you made in the kitchen, and come back upstairs to scrub you both down with soap. I expect your full cooperation, or you'll be sleeping in the crate for the next week. Do I make myself understood?"

In unison, both snails meowed timidly, and Meg stalked off to fulfill her promises.

-----

"What do you mean?" Sandy glared at the young mammal manning the hotel desk over the counter.

"I mean we only have one room left!" He was becoming increasingly nervous.

SpongeBob put a hand on Sandy's arm. "That's okay, really." He plead with her with his eyes. "I can sleep on the floor or something."

Sandy growled, but reluctantly signed in. They'd stopped at a small place between Tucson and El Paso, very close to the Mexican border. Evidently, so had a lot of other people.

SpongeBob grabbed Sandy's suitcase from the car, despite her protests (but had ended up giving it to her anyway, seeing as how it was about 5x heavier then his own) and they hiked up two sets of stairs to the third story, the very last available room. It may as well have been the smallest room in all of...whichever state they were in. They'd stopped right along the border, and then driven back and forth looking for a hotel with vacancy, so he wasn't quite sure which state they were in now. He was sure Sandy knew, but he didn't feel that inclined to ask.


	11. Something Fishy

**Chapter 11: "Something Fishy (and that's not a pun)"**

There was only one bed in the room, and SpongeBob had simply refused to let Sandy sleep on the floor, so there she was, laying awake and staring at the ceiling, worrying about SpongeBob being warm enough. It was late, and she was sure that SpongeBob was asleep by this point, so she daren't turn on the television.

She turned on her side to look at him. Sure enough, he was fast asleep, snuggled into a hotel pillow with a blanket pulled up tightly around his little body. _He sure looks peaceful._ Sandy thought to herself. She sighed. The hotel clock changed to 12:11, and Sandy turned onto her back again, resuming her staring contest with the ceiling.

-----

The next morning, Meg woke up feeling a certain gloom hanging about the room. Of course, that could be accounted to Gary and Carly's reluctance to let their bath the previous night go. She knew they were probably going to hate her for the next week. But they'd get over it.

Meg glanced at the clock; it was only 7:00. She decided to get up anyway, and flinched at the cold wood under her feet, just another reminder that summer was officially over. She grabbed for her bathrobe, and found that she was still exhausted.

"I know I got to sleep at a decent time last night." She grumbled aloud, sliding her bathrobe around her shivering frame. Her coffee tasted particularly bitter, and she wondered if there was to be any positive side to today.

Once at work, she decided that something really was wrong. Maybe there was some kind of toxic chemical spill somewhere, because everybody was acting like they'd had no sleep and too much coffee. Even Patrick, who'd shown up at the Krusty Krab at about lunch time and ordered four Krabby Patties, seemed...not exactly angry, just not exactly chipper.

-----

_Ring ring! Ring ring!_

What was that sound...?

_Ring ring! Ring ring!_

Wake up call! Sandy grabbed at the hotel phone, and mumbled something incoherent.

"Hello, Miss Cheeks?"

"Yeah?"

"You um, ordered a wake up call? It's seven thirty..."

"Uh-huh, thanks." She slammed the phone back onto the hook, before she noticed that something about the room felt different. She was warmer, and...she could hear...breathing...

SpongeBob.

He was laying inches away from her, his blanket pulled up tighter to his body than it had been the night before. He must have gotten colder after Sandy fell asleep and crawled into bed with her. Very well, that wasn't a problem, good friends could...

She was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to hug him and snuggle back under the blanket with him. And that shocked her, so she decided to wake him up to remove temptation from her path.

"SpongeBob?" Sandy put a hand to SpongeBob's shoulder and shook him, gently. "SpongeBob, c'mon we gotta head out."

"Hmm?" His eyes fluttered open, sparkling and blue. She must have awoken him from a good dream, and suddenly felt bad. No matter, they _did_ have to be getting on. They were more than halfway there already, and Sandy was sure that if they drove another seven or so hours, they should be able to hit Missouri City by that night.

"Mornin' sleepy head!" She jumped down off of the bed and began digging around in her suitcase for her toothbrush.

"Oh...good morning, Sandy!" SpongeBob sat up and rubbed his eyes, and then jumped up and shook the sleep away. Sandy envied his ability to just pop awake.

"Sleep well?" Sandy asked from the bathroom, and then stuck her toothbrush in her mouth.

"Great!" He replied.

-----

"C'mon Squidward, this is bad even for you." Meg reprimanded, tired of having been yelled at all day by Squidward, who was probably being rubbed the wrong way by being constantly shouted at by Mr. Krabs from his office.

"It's not my fault I'm having a bad day!" He retorted, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Actually, it is." Meg corrected. She dried her hands off and began stacking plates.

"How do you figure?" Squidward asked.

"Well, your negative attitude isn't helping things. You need to think positive thoughts, something that makes you calm."

"Work doesn't make me calm!"

"It should." Meg leaned through the window. "See, you're looking at it wrong. You're looking at it like it's something that you have to do to feed yourself. You should be looking at it as an outlet for your energy. Something to do to alleviate boredom, a way to--"

"Because that's what it is for you!" Squidward shouted, drawing the attention of a few customers.

Meg flinched. He was trying to sting her...he'd been at it all day. Every time she said something, even if she had the best of intentions, he'd taken it and twisted her words into something that they weren't, and then said something sharp in reply. It was wearing on her, and she wasn't sure whether she'd break down crying or beat the deep fryer to a pulp.

On her way home from work, Meg thought the sky seemed unusually dark. Not because of the time of evening, either; it felt...gray. Like Bikini Bottom was sick. And she discovered the couch ripped to bits when she arrived at her house, also. "Carly! GARY!"


	12. To be Startled

**Chapter 12: "To be Startled is Much Better Than to be Scared"**

Sandy had estimated properly, and by nightfall she pulled her old car into a hospital parking lot in Missouri City, Texas. The drive had been dreary, SpongeBob disliked her taste in music, an he couldn't think of anything better to do, so they'd sat in silence most of the way. But now, arriving at their destination, Sandy began to feel extremely nervous. She hadn't seen her parents in ten years, and wasn't sure whether or not they approved of her choice of home. They hadn't exactly been on _good terms_ when she left. However, the fact that he father had bothered to call and confide in her gave her confidence, and she prompted SpongeBob to get out of the car with her.

She wasn't ten steps, when she spotted her father coming toward her. He'd definitely aged...of course, a person could do that in ten years. She was sure that she'd changed, too. She was no longer the teenager she'd been when she left, she was almost thirty years old.

"Sandy!" His accent surprised even her...had she been in Bikini Bottom _that_ long?

"Pa!" She called back, and they met up and embraced strongly. "Pa, this is SpongeBob. He joined me on the drive to make it less lonely. SpongeBob, this is my father!"

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Cheeks!" SpongeBob greeted, though he looked a bit nervous too. Sandy's mood must have worn off on him.

"Nice to meet you, boy!" Mr. Cheeks replied. SpongeBob liked him already; he wore a big smile, and had lines around his suntanned mouth and eyes from smiling. But he wasn't smiling today. He turned back to his daughter. "Sandy, your ma's condition hasn't improved, and she's still askin' for you."

"Let's go see her, then!" Sandy said, urgently. The three made their way into the big building. The elevator felt a bit odd, and once they reached the top floor Sandy's father directed them down a set of halls toward where Mrs. Cheeks must be.

SpongeBob suddenly felt _very_ nervous. "I'll wait for you out here, Sandy." He said, stopping in the hall outside the room. Something about walking in on a sick person like that made him feel intrusive.

"That's okay SpongeBob," Sandy said. She patted his head, and then followed her father into the room.

-----

"Patrick, I did not--" Meg's protest did no good, as Patrick tried to give her a black eye through the kitchen window. She was faster than him, however, and was able to duck out of the way before he made contact. "Patrick! You're not--" He came crashing through the window, and Meg jumped out of the way. She didn't want to hurt him, but she didn't want to get beat to a pulp, either. "Squidward, say something!"

"Like what?!" Squidward's tone was extremely grouchy, and Meg was honestly surprised that he didn't come through the window after her first.

"I don't know--" She screamed, and ducked beneath a flying spatula. "Patrick! Please--" When he rushed at her again, she grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him to the floor, pinning his arm behind his back.

"Get off me!" He exclaimed, angrily.

Meg sighed. "Patrick, you're being ridiculous. I didn't even say anything, and you came through the window trying to bite my head off, and you expect me to let you go?!"

He squirmed furiously, and seconds later Mr. Krabs came bursting into the kitchen. "What the halibut is going on in here?" Great, all Meg needed was more negativity.

"Sir, he attacked me. I was just--"

"You don't pin the customers down, ignorant--"

"Mr. Krabs! This is _Patrick_ we're talking about!" Meg flushed purple, trying to calm down.

"Get back to work, lass!" He shouted. "And let that man up!"

"But sir--"

"NOW!" His bellow shook the hanging utensils, and Meg, startled, let Patrick up off of the floor. He punched Meg in the arm, hard, and then brushed himself off and left.

Mr. Krabs threw her a glare, and then exited the kitchen and went back to recluse in his office.

Meg wanted to cry. What was wrong with everybody?

-----

"Mama?" Sandy didn't like what she saw. Her mother...always so strong, so able, and now here she was, laying in a hospital bed looking like the life had been drained completely out of her. The only indications that she was living were the constantly beeping heart monitor and her eyes. Her mother's eyes had always had a sparkle, even when she didn't feel well. That sparkle was there now.

"Hey baby!" Mrs. Cheeks reached for Sandy's hand as her daughter sat gingerly down.

"How are they treatin' ya?" Sandy asked. She took her mother's hand and fought back the threatening onslaught of tears.

"Very well." She replied, smiling. "How have ya been? I haven't seen you in ages!"

Sandy knew her mother would try to get her to talk about her new home, if for nothing more than to distract her for a while. "I've been wonderful, ma." She gave her a sad smile. "Bikini Bottom is very beautiful, did Pa ever show you the letters?"

Mrs. Cheeks nodded, still smiling. "Flowers and sunshine and our little girl. It must be a paradise!"

Sandy laughed, despite her watering eyes. "I've made some wonderful friends."

"Is that so? Well, what wonderful person wouldn't want to be friends with you?" No sarcasm or hurt showed on her mother's face, just pride and love.

It cut Sandy to the bones.

"You find a fella yet?" She asked, smirking.

Sandy felt better, knowing that she hadn't lost any of her love for life, or her enthusiasm. "Not yet, mama." She pulled her chair closer. "But I brought my best friend. He rode with me because I was afraid to come alone." She admitted.

"'Sat so?"

Sandy nodded. She could feel that her body and heart wanted her to cry, but she choked it back. _Not yet,_ She told herself. _Not in front of ma. Please..._

"Is he a handsome friend?"

"Ma!"

Mrs. Cheeks laughed, only to sit up and start coughing.

Sandy jumped forward. "You okay?"

Still coughing, she nodded and motioned toward a pitcher of water on the bedside table. Sandy quickly poured a glass and handed it to her. After a few moments, Mrs. Cheeks was once again sitting back comfortably.

"Oh baby, I've missed you so much!" She pulled Sandy into a strong embrace, which Sandy returned carefully, burying her face into her mother's fur. She felt so much like a little child right now...and it felt good to be with her ma.


	13. Some Things

**Chapter 13: "Some Things..."**

Sandy came out of the hospital room about an hour later. She held herself with chin high, chest puffed out, but SpongeBob could read on her face that she was more than frightened, and sad, and looked like she might pass out at any moment.

"Sandy?" He said softly, standing up.

"Come on SpongeBob, we're gonna go stay at my old house with Pa and my cousin Seth." She sounded teary, too.

SpongeBob furrowed his eyebrows. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine! Let's go." Sandy walked past him swiftly. He watched after her for a moment, and then followed.

Once in the privacy of her car, Sandy sat quietly for a moment, staring at the dashboard. SpongeBob climbed into the passenger's seat.

They sat in silence for a few moments, until Sandy broke into sobs. SpongeBob, not sure what to do, patted her on the back. He hadn't seen Sandy like this in a long time, and it near broke his heart.

"Sandy?" He repeated.

She sat up and tried to pull herself together. "I'm sorry SpongeBob, I don't know what...I mean..." She took a shuddering breath. "I'm alright, really. It's just...I haven't seen her in so long, and she looked so..so..." But she couldn't stop herself from breaking down.

SpongeBob wrapped his arms around her carefully, trying desperately to comfort her. He didn't tell her not to cry...she was scared. He understood that.

-----

Once Meg come home from work, the only thing she had any energy left to do was flop down onto her bed and lay there, half dead. An hour later, she'd woken up and realized that she forgot to feed Gary and Carly. Now downstairs with a cup of hot tea, she couldn't help but feel like she was--

_Ring! Ring!_

She huffed, got up from the table, and picked up the phone. "Hello?" She had to pull it away from her ear, as a string of curses made their way from the other line. "Squidward, I can't understand you! I--"

"JUST TAKE CARE OF IT ALREADY!" _Click!_

Meg glared at the wall before her, and then slammed the phone into it's cradle. "Take care of it yourself, baby." She hadn't heard what it was that he wanted her to fix, but she was sure that it was stupid and just another reason to rail on her.

Carly growled and spat, and in seconds, her and Gary were in a full-fledged fight.

"What now?!" Meg dashed into the living room and grabbed a pillow off of her couch, then made her way back into the kitchen and hit them with it repeatedly until they stopped fighting. "What is _wrong_ with you two?" There it was...she could physically feel the energy draining rapidly from her body. Again. It seemed like that happened every time a pointless spat broke out. She was scared even to step into the shower, for fear she might pass out. Maybe a bath...a very shallow one...would be safe. _Sure,_ She thought, _let's go with that._

-----

"Thank you Pa." Sandy managed. She was seated at an oak table in her old home, and it brought back so many childhood memories. It was just too bad this couldn't have happened under better circumstances.

"You sure you okay cuz?" Sandy's cousin, Seth (who had been introduced to SpongeBob the moment they were through the front door) was seated next to her, wearing a worried expression.

"I'm alright." She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, then took a sip of the glass of water that her father had just given her.

"So," Seth turned to SpongeBob. He had a smooth, low-pitched voice, like a bad guy from a science fiction film. But he didn't have eyes like a bad guy from a science fiction film, he had nice eyes, like Sandy's. "You ever been to Texas before?"

"Never!" SpongeBob replied, blue eyes glittering. He'd been suffering a bit from the desert dryness, but Sandy was making sure that he stayed well hydrated.

"'Sat so? How ya likin' it so far?" His accent was thick, but he talked at a steady pace, so he was easy to understand.

"It's...nice." SpongeBob replied. "Kinda dry though."

Seth laughed. "Yeah that's gotta be weird."

"Not really!" SpongeBob said with a casual shrug. "I remember when I first met Sandy, I didn't even know--"

"SpongeBob," Sandy interrupted, looking up from the table. She still looked a bit weary. "Maybe you should save this story for another time."

-----

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

What was that blasted sound?

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Meg slammed the snooze button on her alarm clock, only for it to go off an annoying nine minutes later. She yanked it from the bedside table and threw it across the room, to which Carly reacted with a loud hiss and quick retreat to under the bed. Meg groaned and swung her legs over the edge of her bed. She was _so_ tired! Even coffee sounded like too much of a hassle, let alone work. But...she must press on. Up, out of bed she came, and made her way downstairs to where the coffee maker was fulfilling it's programming and brewing up a nice hot pot. She opened the fridge and instinctively grabbed for a piece of fruit...only to discover that her stock was depleted.

"Note to self," She mumbled, "Stop at Barg'n'Mart on the way home." A piece of toast and jam would have to do. While she was waiting for her toast to finish, she poured a huge cup of coffee and practically swallowed the whole thing down. She poured another mug to drink on her way to the Krusty Krab, grabbed her toast, ate quickly, took her braids out and put her hair up into a ponytail without brushing it, got dressed, and was out the door. She really didn't feel like being thorough that morning, especially with the impending sense of doom that seemed to lurk for her at work. She knew that Squidward and Mr. Krabs would just be sour and unreasonable, so why try to look like she was pulled together, when honestly, she may as well be dead on the inside?


End file.
